The use of mobile wireless devices is increasing rapidly. Wireless devices, such as consumer electronic devices and mobile handsets, configured in accordance with the Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Specification promulgated by the WIFI ALLIANCE, enable users to communicate content via direct wireless connection with other wireless devices rather than through an infrastructure network located in the vicinity.
One way to accomplish the connection of wireless devices to each other in a peer-to-peer group is to provide the functionality of a traditional infrastructure Access Point in software in a wireless device so that the device operates as a Group Owner. The Group Owner behaves in a similar manner to the traditional infrastructure Access Point. With the functionality of an Access Point in the Group Owner, other wireless devices may set up connections with the mobile group owner as peer-to-peer clients. Typically, Access Point functionality provided by the wireless device is, for the most part, provided by software. Consequently, the Group Owner wireless device is sometimes referred to as a Soft Access Point.